23 December 2010

16 December 2010

It has been way too long since I have blogged. So tonight I have sat myself down in front of this computer to try and do some catch up blogging, and returning emails! We spent some time in Florida helping an uncle and aunt out, and while there the weather got really cold......in Florida! Not to mention how cold it has been here in the south. We also had a tornado go zipping by about 10 miles or so (as the crow flies) away from our house. Getting to the subdivision where the damage was done would take about 15 minutes or so, but thank goodness no one was injured or killed.
Lately it has been, cold, cold, cold! A few snowflakes, rain, snowflakes, and last night quite a bit of ice out on the roads. People spent the night in their cars, and they said even a fire truck that was responding to a wreck got iced in! Winter doesn't even begin till the 21st!

This is my little trough pond as I call it that hubby built for me so I could grow extra pond plants. There is usually water coming out of the top, but not this day. It looks like they are dancing on ice!

Somewhere in there are quite a few large fish. They have managed so far with this crazy weather! That is it for now. I'll try to be back real soon, and I need to catch up on my blog reading too. I've missed you guys!! Hope all of you are staying warm and cozy!

25 November 2010

19 November 2010

So on Sunday morning while we were all sitting around at the breakfast table with Dr. Hapke (our wonderful host and owner) at the bed and breakfast, hubby asked, what's with all the blue butts? Is it a way of keeping count or tracking them?

Oh no, said Dr. Hapke. That is number 72. Number 72? Yes, she explained it is their way of keeping track of all of the sheep. Hmmmmm, ok, let's hear this story. (Dr. Hapke is an excellent story teller) So, here is the story of #72. Oh #72 was a beauty, such a sweet thing. He would always come up when he was a baby to get something to eat from you or just to be near you. Such a sweetheart! When it was time for market she just could not get rid of #72, well, not yet anyway. So, #72 was going to have the honor of being the head honcho, buck, ram of the place. Oh, what a privilege! Very interesting, but why the blue butts? we asked. To keep track of them. A female will go into heat twice a year. In order to know whether or not a female has been fertilized # 72 is rigged with a strap that goes around him with a crayon latched onto the strap. Blue butts, # 72 has done his deed! Now with sheep being so big and woolly they don't always show that they are pregnant until much later on, and as this is a working farm, you need to know these things! Plus they have to change out the colors every ten days in case the first time was not successful or a new female decided it was time for her painting. Ah, Dr. Hapke told us, # 72 was so excited being the head ram he became an artist. One female was quite the painting . # 72 drew all over her, and went through two crayons in less than a day or so! One of the other guests said well instead of calling him #72 he should be called Leonardo!
Dr. Hapke suggested that we go along with her farmhand to see all of the animals, and so the hunt was on for Leonardo aka #72.
Our wonderful guide took us up the mountainside. I mean we walked, and walked. Now I walk just about every day, but this was a steep walk.

Nearing the top, and jackets are coming off. Oh look! A shed in sight!

Hey, no blue butts here

But the view

She has 70 beautiful acres with this bed and breakfast

Our guide asked us if we wanted to go further up. Higher? we said in unison. A nod of the head. Is Leonardo aka 72 up there? Oh no, he told us, he is down the hill with all the other females.

Back down we go

Ah ha! Familiar sight!

Yet where is #72? Our guide feeds them their breakfast so we can get a closer look

Whoa! There is a red butt!

Ok so now instead of blue crayons we are looking for red. I think I spot him!

There you are you little artist you!

While everyone else was having breakfast

Leonardo aka #72 was trying to decide who he would romance for the day!

That mornings breakfast was much enjoyed, and full of laughter as we learned a lot about farm life and #72. May you have another year at the bed & breakfast # 72!

14 November 2010

There was a turkey! (oooh better run, Thanksgiving is coming up!) Gobble, gobble

There were lots of sheep....baaa baaaa

Lots of cows other than Lolita and family! Moooo Moooo

There were some peacocks Aeeaaah, Aeeaaaah, ok, not so good with the peacock sound!

There were some watch dogs Woof, woof

To watch the sheep and be loved by guests! Woof!

I missed the cats, but they were there too! Meow.......hope you enjoyed the farm animals! Now, Old MacDonald had a farm.......................................
P.S. Mr. Turkey is safe, he is there for looks so he can strut around!

07 November 2010

I wanted to show first to you before I forget a few more photos from around Asheville, and then I will get back to our bed & breakfast. On arriving Friday night in Weaverville we were hungry so there was a restaurant right down the road that we decided to try. There are quite a few in the area, but this one of course caught hubby's eye. This is the Weaverville Mill Restaurant. I believe the owners bought it back in the 1980's, and it is at least 100 years old.

I love the old wood on it

Here is the inside where they had a lot of old antiques. I am glad that they kept it original with all the wood as so many people might have painted it which would have made for a lack of "old" atmosphere.

This place was at least 3 or more stories high. They had the grain on top so when you pulled one of these levers out it came down the shoot.

It was a quiet night which we were thankful for yet I've heard the place can get packed during the season.
So the next place is what Penny called the Tobacco barn. Now I can't say for sure that is what this was used for way back when, but if any of you know North Carolina history a lot of tobacco was grown in this state. Now the Tobacco Barn is an antique place, and it was our last stop of the day. I never saw all of it, there was just so much stuff. 70,000 square feet of it! I do want to go back some day, and really look around. Day is right though as it looks like it might take all day!

Here are some of the bloggers resting. I'd be right there with you except I was too busy taking pictures.

Diane here in the foreground with Mary behind her.

Penny our hostess took this photo of Mary and I which is a good thing as I never got one. Mary of ahttp://abreathoffreshair-mary.blogspot.com/ has been a wonderful blogging friend since I've been blogging. It was so nice to finally meet her and her husband!

I took a lot of photos that weekend so I will have more to share later on.

06 November 2010

A bed and breakfast farm that is! When we went to the bloggers brunch in Asheville last month I looked online for a bed and breakfast to stay in. I always enjoy them as I don't have to go very far for breakfast! This one caught my eye. Located in Weaverville, N.C. about 15 miles north of Asheville, not very far from where we would meet up with the other bloggers. The lady that answered the phone was extremely nice as she told me about Oxford Farm. It is a working farm with sheep, cattle, chickens, ducks, turkeys, and peacocks! That did it for me so I made the reservation.

She met us at the gate as it is kept locked until she gives you the key. As we drove up to the house we saw these cows with very long hair! Not the best photo, but I promise I have more.

The peacocks running around

The sheep grazing

And inside the house was the story of how she came to purchase the farm and fixed it up

It was very run down

Yet she did a marvelous job with it. It is pretty inside and out

Every morning we had muffins, coffee, and since she knew I drank tea a pot of tea was waiting for all of us in the living room

Saturday was a very fast pace for us with the bloggers brunch and antique shopping. (Thank you once again Penny!) So on Sunday we were able to get out on the farm, and that was a lot of fun. More in my next post!

About Me

Hi there! This blog is my creative outlet! I enjoy writing, everyone tells me to write a book, too many long emails I guess! I love to take pictures, garden, both flowers and vegetables, and I have a hubby who loves doing the same things so we are always outside. We have chickens and honeybees to boot! Between us we have 3 kids, along with their spouses and the grandkids. When we can we love to travel. Life is very busy here!

Spirit of a Woman

Gianni Versace, Milan: "It's the spirit of a woman that keeps her young. The way she moves, the way she talks, the way she smiles. It's not just a question of fashion, it's a question of life. In fact, the future of being young and fashionable is to look inside yourself. You can't wear a designer suit and look like a model in a magazine. You have to look like yourself."

Prince Charles said/wrote

"The whole imposing edifice of modern medicine, for all its breathtaking successes, is, like the celebrated Tower of Pisa, slightly off balance. It is frightening how dependent on drugs we are all becoming and how easy it is for doctors to prescribe them as the universal panacea for our ills."